01 · the cities
South Bend
South Bend is Notre Dame, the Golden Dome, and the Touchdown Jesus mural visible from the football stadium. The St. Joseph River runs through downtown, and the East Bank district has the food and bar scene. The University of Notre Dame campus is genuinely beautiful (the basilica, the lakes, the grottos). Smaller than its national reputation suggests, with a steady college-town pulse.
full dispatch→Toledo
Toledo is the Glass City, with a long history of glassmaking (Owens-Illinois, Libbey, Pilkington), and the Toledo Museum of Art's glass pavilion is genuinely world-class and free. The Mud Hens (yes, Klinger's team) play minor league ball downtown. Sitting between Detroit and Cleveland on Lake Erie, Toledo has serious walleye fishing and a real lake-town pace. Cheaper than its bigger neighbors.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$1,391/mo
$1,197/mo
$194/mo less than South Bend (16%)
Median home price
Median home price
$230k
$196k
$34k less than South Bend
State income tax
State income tax
3.0%
4.0%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,692/mo
$6,804/mo
Toledo has $112/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
157 days
159 days
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
0 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
40 days
38 days
days below 20°F per year
South Bend and Toledo have remarkably similar weather profiles overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
53 / 100
55 / 100
2.0 pts ahead of South Bend
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
9 routes
4 routes
5 fewer direct routes than South Bend
Metro size
Metro size
324k metro
600k metro
South Bend has 1.5x fewer events per month than Toledo.
the verdict
2
South Bend
categories won
4
Toledo
categories won
Toledo leads on money and wins overall.
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